The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-24
TARIFF rrEFoRM,
CONTINUED.
RAvENNA, March IA, 1887.

Protective Tariff We hear it often 7,
.ffirmed that without this system our !
ountry will be flooded with foreign
IMPORTS, and that our laborers will be
iefrauded of opportunity of employ
nent, and be thereby reduced to pau
oerism. This old threadbare assertion
Is as false Is it was forty years ago
These humbugs appear very anxious
that our skilled mechanics shall not
be compelled to compete with foreign
paupers. Well, let us see. Paupers
In one place are the same as paupers
everywhere. Their work here or in
Europe, is always unskillful, slovenly
poor and costly and skilled work
men abroad, as here. always command
fair wages. Then, nearly every branch
o work done in this country is done
here because it must be; because no
one can do it so we'll and SO cheaply as
we can do it ourselves. That is, the
arts and manufactures of our country |
exist not by reason of any revenue |
laws, butby reason of necessity. And
almost every branch of domestic man
ufactures was established aud pros
porous in this country when there was
no protective tariff. What has said
tariff ever done for the production of
our great agricultural staples? Our
wheat, our corn, our beef, our pork,
lard, butter, cheese, cotton, hay and
canned fruits and vegetables? Not
anything, but to make the implements
used in their production the more
costly for us. We export all of these.
put them upon the markets of the old
world in competition with their pro-
ductions; hence these productions
need no tariff egislation-they cannot
be benefited by it. Let US look far
ther to our productions and industries.
There is petroleum, resin, turpentine,
building eIials, gold, silver, copper
stoves, tinware, shovels, axes, all ag-
ricultural implements our boots,
shoes, sole-leather. wagons, carts. car
riages, harnesses, locomotives, railroad
coaches and cars, sewing machiues,
photographs, pianos, rubber goods,
watches, guns, buttons, ,broOms. clocks,
and cannot begin to snumerate all.
What good does tariff do for these ar
ticles and productions, or who is so
foolish rs to suppose they would come
from abroad, even if there was no tar
iff at all. Then we see, there is no
| 81, 80 :.
necessary to maintain the wages of
our common industries. 1t is sham
aud fraud, the acceptance of which
i -pends more upon ignorance than
this evil system of high tariff is not a
blessing to the masses of the people
but it is q burden and a curse, in the
way of heavy, stealthy taxation upon
the resources and energies of our peO-
pie, for the benefit of the few. Not
over five persons in hundred are in
the least, direct or indirect, benefited
by this pernicious system. Talk about
tariff to protect our wage earners. Look
to the mllliners, dress makers, seam.
stresses and working women in ouI
great cities today, working from Is tu
Is hours day to earn the merest pit
tance to keep the wolf from the door
and } ct under the full blaze and glory
of I" Protective Tariff" the prices paid
for labor under this protective system
is a shame to the civilized world anG
yet there are over $50, 900 of these
working women today. and from every
dollar they so laboriously earn, they
must contribute about cents for the
benefit of the rich, who grow richel
from this tariff. And what is true o.
this class of labor is also true of every
other class. might carry this picture
on almost without limit, but time anG
space forbid. One thing more in thi:
connection will say: Put tariff
Prohibitory." on the importation by
our monopolists, of criminals and pau
pers, the slums of the old world, anC
our intelligent people will have
enough to do, and good wages. In
building, and in brick making, anC
many other domestic employ ments
that said tariff cannot possibly benefit
their wages are today more than
double what they are in Great Britain
while in most of the protected indus
tries, as manufacturing cotton, silks
&c, wages here are low, and 1 will
now venture the asset tion that a pro
tectivs tariff does not here, and never
has been anywhere, a benefit to the
laboring people. This ext0rtionary
tariff seems only to multiply the richie.
of the great capitalists, aud pile the
money up higher and higher in tn.
Nationa! Treasury, at the expense O
the masses of the people, where it lie.
idle, until its tempting influence call.
forth some cunning legislation by
which it is mostly spent in big jobs
for some local gliding, The rich only
can take these jobs, the work is most
} ly done with steam power and ma
chinery, the daily laborers are mostly
outcasts and paupers from the OLD
World. Our people paid the tariff tax
} they receive no benefit from it, and t,
them it is lost. SD. N.
A POsTMAsrER in Nil hig an desir
ing to be relieved from the duties o
his Office, has addressed Postmaste
General Villas as follows: "Whei